Paper towel dispenser package



Patented Feb. 8, 1944 'i' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE a 2,341,119 PAPER TOWEL DISPENSER PACKAGE Clarence A. Rost, Missoula, Mont. Application June 2l, 1941, Serial No. 399,155

(C1. "20c- 57i 6 Claims.

.i The present invention relates to paper Itowel dispenser packages and to supports therefor.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a package of paper towels constructed vso as' to provide for the ready removal of a single towel from the package.`

`Another object is to provide a pack of paper towels and a holder for supporting the same on a wall in which the pack has incorporatedtherein means for detachably engaging the holder soithat a new pack may be quickly engaged with the holder when a pack is used up.

A further object is to provide a pack of paper towels in which means are provided for facilitating the ready removal of single towelsl from the pack, said means comprising a tab carried by each sheet and connected by an easily severed portion to an overlying sheet whereby the tab on an underlying sheet will be raised to a position to be readily .grasped by the act of tearing the top sheet from the pack.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention' with reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof and in which Fig. l is a plan View of a pack of towels embodying the invention, shown assembled with its holder and with parts broken away;

Fig. 2- is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a detail view of several sheets opened up showing themanner forming the pack and the tab construction;

Fig. 4 is a layout showing the cuts formed in the strip to separate the same into leaves with connecting tabs, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a pack of towels with a modified tab construction.

Referring now more particularly to the details of the invention, the pad or package o'f towels 5 comprises a plurality of sheets 6 o suitable absorbent paper bound together along one edge. The size and number of leaves or sheets in the package may be varied as desired and may be made of suitable absorbent paper as usually employed for this purpose.

The pad is preferably formed from a continuous strip of suitable abso-rbent paper which is progressively folded back and forth zig-zag fashion a plurality of times to form the superposed leaves or sheets 6 constituting the individual towels.

The strip of paper from which the leaves are formed is provided with transversely extending cuts or slits at intervals, said slits defining the sides of the towel leaves and being arranged so as to form on each underlying leaf a tab connected to the next overlying leaf by an unsevered portion of the strip. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the transverse slits 'I are disposed substantially coincident with'the lines of fold and begin a short distance `from the upper marginal edge of the strip, continue substantially along the line of the Ylines of fold and diverge diagonally laterally as a branch cut 8 and terminate short of the lower marginal edge as indicated at 9. vThese cuts produce on each underlying leaf an integral oiset tab Ill joined to the next overlying leaf by an integral unsevered portion II of the strip. In the formed pad or package, the tabs I0 of successive leaves are disposed on alternate sides of the pack. When the top leaf is torn off the tab I0 on the underlying leaf, due to the connecting part II. is raised and the vleaf carrying it may also be raised slightly from the underlying leaves as the part I I is torn through.

The strip is also provided with a broken row of slits or perforations I2 extending parallel with and spaced from the upper edge, the portion I3 of the pad above the weakened line provided by the slits I2 forming a back for binding. The unsevered portion joining the leaves at the ends of the portion I3 facilitates manufacture as it holds the strip in a continuous piece during the slitting, folding and binding.

The pad of towels formed by the slit and folded strip is provided with a binding comprising a face strip I4 and a backing strip I5 of substantially the same width and length as the portion I3. A narrow spacer strip I6 is centered on the strip I5 between the same and the bottom sheet of the portion I3 for the purpose of spacing the backing strip I5 from the pad. The strips I4, I5 and I6 may be formed of cardboard or nbre-board of sufficient thickness and rigidity to form a firm and fairly rigid binding for the pad and are fastened by suitable staples I'I passing through the strips and the portion I3 of the pad. An inner backing strip I5 is preferably provided between the spacer strip I6 and the bottom sheet of the pad.

The backing strip I5 comprises the means for mounting the pad in the holder I8. The holder I8, which may be made of metal,4 plastic or other suitable material, is in the form of a flattened slotted tube or channel member open at least on one end to receive the backing strip I5. The channel shaped holder I8 includes a bottom or back I9, adapted to be fastened on a vertical wall or other support by means of screws 2D, and inturned flanges 2| which define a longitudinal slot 22 to accommodate the spacing strip I6 when the backing strip I5 is slid endwise into the holder. When mounting the pad, the channel shaped holder member I8 is fastened on a wall' or the like and the pad is engaged therewith by inserting one end of the strip I5 into the open end of the channel with the inturned flanges 2| disposed between the strips I5 and I5. The

spacer strip i6 will occupy the slot 22 between the edges of the flanges 2|,

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the pad is formed in the same general manner as described above, except that the tabs I I are formed substantially midway of the upper and lower edges of the leaves. This is accomplished by forming the edge slits |01 intermediate the edges which ldenes the upper edge of the tab minates at an unsevered portion H0 at the tip of the tab and a return branch slit |08' extends i from this unsevered portion back to the edge and continues at lill to the lower edge of the strip.'

From the above it will be apparent that the invention provides a convenient pad or package of paper towels having a novel binder which cooperates with a mounting member to support the pad for` use and which permits readyk replacement of used pads by a fresh pad. The use of the towels is greatly facilitated by the lifting tabs l0 which enable the user to grasp a single towel from the pad each time, thereby effecting an economy in use.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that other modifications in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: i

1. A paper towel dispenser package comprising a continuous paper strip reversely folded at regular intervals to provide a stack of superposed leaves, said leaves being partially severed from each other along lines substantially following the lines of fold along the major portion thereof and departing therefrom to provide an integral tab extension on each underlying leaf, which tabs are cut from the next overlying leaf, and joined thereto by an integral unsevered connecting portion, a marginal binding portion along one edge of said pad extending normal to the lines of fold and partially severed from the body of the leaves, binding strips on the front and back of said marginal binding portion, and fastening i means connecting said binding strips and said marginal binding portion.

2. A paper towel dispenser' package comprising a continuous paper strip reversely folded at regular intervals to provide a stack of superposed leaves, said leaves being partially severed from each other along lines substantially following the lines of fold along the major portion thereof and departing therefrom to provide an ntegral tab extension on each underlying leaf, which tabs are cut from the next overlying leaf, and joined thereto by an integral unsevered connecting portion, a marginal binding portion along one edge of said pad extending normal to the lines of fold and partially severed from the body of the leaves, binding strips on the front and back of said marginal binding portion, a narrow spacer strip between the back binding strip and said binding portion and fastening means connecting said binding strips and spacing strip and said marginal binding portion.

3. A paper towel dispenser package comprising a continuous paper strip reversely folded at beginning short of the upper edge and with a branch I 08` H0. The lateral branch IDB terf 1 linesof fold and 1 joined thereto ing portion, aV marginal binding portion along ing a continuous regular intervals to provide a, stack of superposed leaves, said leaves being partially severed from each other along lines substantially following the lines of fold along the major portion thereof and departing therefromv to provide an integral tab extension on each underlying leaf, which tabs are cut from the next overlying leaf, and

by an integral unsevered connectpad extending normal to the A partially severed from the body of the leaves, binding strips on the front and back of said marginal binding portion, a narrow spacer strip between the back binding strip and said binding portion, fastening means connecting said binding strips and spacing strip and said marginal binding portion, and a slotted tubular holder .open at one end to slidingly receive the back binding strip to mount the pad on the holder,

4. A paper towel dispenser package comprising a pad of paper towels having a marginal binding portion along one edge thereof partially severed from the body of the leaves of the pad, binding strips on the front and back of said marginal binding portion, a narrow spacer strip between the back binding strip and said binding portion, fastening means connecting said binding strips and said marginal binding portion and spacer strip, and a slotted tubular holder open at one end to slidingly receive the back binding strip to mount the towel pad on the holder. 5. A paper towel dispenser package comprising a pad of superposed leaves, an inturned tab carried by each underlying leaf at one edge thereof and joined by a readily severable 4connection to a next superposed leaf, said pad having a, marginal binding portion along one edge other than the edge at which said tabs are disposed and partially severed from the body of the leaves of the pad, binding strips on the front and back of said marginal binding portion, a narrow spacer strip between the back binding strip and said binding portion, fastening means connecting said binding strips and said marginal binding portion and spacer strip, and a slotted tubular holder open at one end to slidingly receive the back binding strip to mount the towel pad on the holder.

6. A paper towel dispenser package comprispaper strip reversely folded at regular intervals to provide a stack of superposed leaves, said strip being cut transversely substantially on the lines of fold, said cuts beginning a short distance from one marginal edge and substantially following the line of fold along the major portion thereof and diverging therefrom adjacent the opposite marginal edge and terminating short of the last mentioned edge to define an integral tab extension on each leaf integrally joined by a weak connection to an ad- Jacent leaf, said strip being provided with a line of interrupted cuts paralleling and spaced from said rst mentioned marginal edge to provide a weakened tear line, the portion of said strip between said weakened one edge of said binding portion, ginal binding portion, said binding means including a backing strip adapted to engage a slotted tubular holder for mounting the pad for use.

: CLARENCE A. ROST. 

